My next big project is my first English album and it’s jazz. This has been my dream for as long as I can remember. Our take on this jazz album is to also retain our Chinese identity. So we have some Chinese elements in the album. I play the guzheng and we put that in as well. It’s a completely new sound we’re trying to create.

In a recent coup for Huairou, Keanu Reeves signed on to shoot “Man of Tai Chi,” a $32 million contemporary chopsocky and tai chi actioner that will film here. The cast includes Tiger Chen and Karen Mok, with Reeves as a bad guy — and martial arts choreography by Yuen Woo-ping (”The Matrix”).

Local auds didn’t flock to “City of Life and Death” in expected numbers, partially because Lu made the Japanese general in the war movie a real character.

Now the director wants his vision to appeal to auds in the booming China market as he gets ready to unveil “The Last Supper,” a costume drama about two warring generals, toplining mainland-friendly stars Liu Ye, Daniel Wu and Taiwanese thesp Chang Chen.

Two versions of the film are in the pipeline, with Jacob Cheung Chi-Leung directing and Tony Ching Siu-Tung producing and filming to begin in July. An international US-China version hopes to get Danny Boyle to direct with an unnamed actress in the lead.

After its premier in 1951, the film was soon caught up in ideological disputes, which saw it pilloried as being pro-capitalist, a severe accusation in an era characterized by its black-and-white politics. However, Mao Zedong’s criticism of the film, in which he labeled it as carrying a message detrimental to the principles of socialism, was perhaps the main reason behind the banning of the film.

After a boisterous but highly undemocratic contest featuring feuding tycoons, dark rumors of closet communism and a host of scandals over sex, gangsters and an illegal wine cellar, Hong Kong elites on Sunday selected a wealthy, China-backed populist as the new leader of this former British colony.

“Nicholas is unhappy with what Cecilia did and does not want his son to enter showbiz at such an early age. He did not like how Cecilia was using Lucas to make money. Nicholas was already upset when she brought Lucas along during the promotions of Stephen Chow’s CJ7: The Cartoon,” he wrote.

In other related news, Zhou Xun was rumoured to star in Taiwanese director Doze Niu’s upcoming movie Love. However, she rejected the role after learning that Vicki would be in the movie too. Her role was subsequently awarded to Shu Qi.

Honestly, the situation in Japan seems dire. Circumstances are worsening, official reports appear sugar-coated and the response so far does not appear effective. The citizens, surely, feel frustrated and abandoned. But let’s, at least, recognize the bravery of the Fukushima 50.

The film, with a former title, “The 1911 Revolution”, is a tribute to the 100th anniversary of the monumental Xinhai Revolution that began in 1911 and eventually brought an end to China’s last feudal dynasty.

Last year’s blockbuster comedy Let the Bullets Fly, which became the biggest-grossing Chinese language movie ever, has now set another record - the top price paid in Hollywood for the rights to adapt a Chinese film.

It was reported that Leon, who rarely appeared in events, began taking up more work recently. This drove speculations of a pregnant Gaile Lok and that Leon was saving up for the birth of his Rabbit child.

China Lion Film Distribution will open the Mandarin-language remake of ‘What Women Want’ (Wo Zhi Nu Ren Xin), starring Andy Lau and Gong Li, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, February 3rd, at select theaters throughout North America, as well as day-and-date in China and releasing in Australia and New Zealand. The film will be the first China Lion release for 2011…

Unfortunately, Sammo was also in the tabloid news after being photographed hand-in-hand with a young woman. When shown the photograph, his wife (Joyce Godenzi/Gao LiHong, 2nd right, above) said that she did not recognize her but she didn’t know all of Sammo’s friends. (Sina)

Bona, which no longer is connected to China’s military, counts among its private competitors Huayi Brothers Media, which raised $176 million on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in October 2009 and Enlight Media, a Beijing based TV company turned movie studio.

Bona, in fact, has government ties of its own, having merged in November 2003 with the China Poly Group, a business wing of the People’s Liberation Army, to form PolyBona Film Distribution, the company’s former English name

Bona’s U.S. IPO filing follows close on the heels of the filings for U.S. public listings by China’s two largest online video sharing web sites, Youku with the New York Stock Exchange and Tudou on the Nasdaq.

(Nov.17) Peter Chan, Sandra Ng and Vincent Kok of Mr. and Mrs Incredible collaborated with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to promote winter holiday tourism and shopping. A 3D animated short film featured characters named ‘Hong-Hong’ and ‘Kong-Kong’. Peter Chan, jokingly, announced the release date for Mr. and Mrs. Incredible as January 32, 2011, meaning the day after January 31st.

Netizens are gleefully flaming the 34-year-old, calling her everything from “evil woman” and “gold-digger” to “more disgusting than a rat” and “Big quot; (a play on Hsu’s official nickname Big S). The cause of such outrage?

September 24, 2010

The music video is directed by Ann Hui, a well-known Hong Kong director who collaborated with Andy 30 years ago in the film “Boat People.” Lau spent 2 days shooting the video, in which he plays an orphan, in a suburban area of Beijing.

This year’s HKAFF runs from October 22 to November 8. Actress Karena Lam’s film “Lover’s Discourse” and Hong Kong actor Juno Mak’s “Fuchouzhe Zhi Si” (translated as “The Death of Avenger”) will be the opening films.

The focus on Hong Kong local productions reflects the recent growth in quantity and quality of Hong Kong cinema, of which the critical and boxoffice reception in the first half of 2010 proved a shot in the arm for the industry, Broadway Cinematheque director Gary Mak told The Hollywood Reporter.

You have to be a much more patient director to work in Hollywood. When I was shooting “The Flock,” there were unions, so many meetings to attend, and I had to repeat myself a million times and be specific about everything. I wasted so much time talking bullshit there.

“I find that Americans still have a very big stereotype toward what Asians are, and I don’t feel a need to perpetuate that stereotype. So when a good character comes along, I’m all for it. I’m ready. I’d be very open to it,” Wu said.

A lighter-than-air yarn about two cheerful nicotine enthusiasts, Hong Kong romancer “Love in a Puff” is an unfiltered delight. Pang Ho-cheung gets the balance exactly right with this well-realized vehicle for Miriam Yeung and Shawn Yue, which also plays like a poem to that most cinematic of vices, smoking. http://hkmdb.com/news/?p=5642

A press conference for the action thriller “Triple Tap” was held in Beijing on June 28th. (Sina)

Beijing premiere

Li Bingbing

In the film, Li portrays a manager at a financial company. When Yee was asked to describe Li in real life, he said Li was strong, but inside she was a tender woman. As soon as the voice faded, a tear came out of Li’s eyes. “It’s very touching that the director understands me,” explained Li.

Unfortunately, “Triple Tap” could not capitalise on this intriguing premise. Yee made his big reveal somewhere in the middle of the film, completely shutting down the suspense of finding out what actually transpired during the robbery and who was behind it.

Cecilia Cheung - Shanghai

Cecilia will begin work on Derek Yee’s film with Tony Leung Chiu-Wai in February.

The Hidden Chamber of Secrets, a mystery film about serial murders, stars Alec Su and Pace Wu is currently filming in Beijing. He plays a novelist, she plays his wife. The story of horror takes place within 24 hours in a locked house with 8 people. One by one they die. Zhang Fanfan directs the film scheduled to open Oct. 29. (Sina)